Histoplasma capsulatum, lung infection and immunity

Mice from Lethal Histoplasma capsulatum Infection

Excessive production of interleukin-4 impairs clearance of the fungal pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum in mice lacking the chemokine receptor CCR2. An increase in the interleukin-4 level is associated with decreased recruitment of dendritic cells to lungs; therefore, we investigated the possibility that these cells influence interleukin-4 production. Adoptive transfer of wild-type or CCR2 / bone...

Infection with Histoplasma capsulatum: Host-fungus interface.

Histoplasma capsulatum is a pathogenic fungus that has caused infections in all continents except Antarctica although most disease is found within the Americas. It produces a broad spectrum of illness that can on occasion be fatal. Understanding the interaction between the host and the fungus provides insights into the pathogenic mechanisms as well as the host response to replicating fungi. Thi...

By Tnfr1 and -2 Capsulatum Histoplasma Regulation of Infection With

Apoptosis modulates protective immunity to the pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.

Pathogen-induced apoptosis of lymphocytes is associated with increased susceptibility to infection. In this study, we determined whether apoptosis influenced host resistance to the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. The level of apoptotic leukocytes progressively increased in the lungs of naive and immune mice during the course of H. capsulatum infection. T cells constituted the dominant apoptotic ...

Effect of Histoplasma capsulatum glucans on host innate immunity.

β-1,3-Glucan is important for infective forms (mycelial phase) of Histoplasma capsulatum and shares many features allotted to pathogen-associated molecular patterns. These cell wall carbohydrates interact with phagocytes by binding to Toll and lectin-like receptors, present on cell surfaces of macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells. This review focuses on recent findings of the major H. ...